• You are in default on a subsidized or unsubsidized loan and you have not made satisfactory repayment arrangements (not eligible for loan you can find out more forgiveness for the defaulted loan)

Sidebar: Make sure to look up whether the school where you teach qualifies as a low-income school. Any elementary or secondary school operated by the Bureau of Indian Education or operated on an Indian reservation by an Indian tribal group under contract with the bureau meets the low-income school requirement.

Many other teacher loan forgiveness programs are available, and eligibility depends on various factors, such as the state or district where you teach, and the grade level and subject you teach. You can identify suitable programs using the American Federation of Teachers’ online database.

Medical Professional Loan Forgiveness

If you are a health or medical professional or student, your student loan might be eligible for cancellation in a number of loan repayment programs. In exchange for serving in certain locations, usually a designated site that is underserved, the organization supplies funds to apply to your loan balance. Here’s a brief rundown of organizations and available programs.

National Health Services Corps (NHSC) Programs

The National Health Service Corps offers several programs to health field professionals and students. Amounts you receive to repay your student loan are income-tax free. The details of three programs are below.

If you are a qualifying medical student, you may apply up to $120,000 in your final year of schooling to your student loan. To receive the repayment amount, you must commit to serve a minimum period at a specified location.

• As a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathy student who commits to providing primary healthcare
• For three years (full time) or six years (part time)
• At an NHSC-approved site with a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) score of 14 or higher

The program applies to loans extended by federal, state or local governments, as well as commercial loans obtained for your reasonable educational and living expenses. Some loans do not qualify, such as Parent PLUS loans.

NHSC State Loan Repayment Programs

Health professionals – such as physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists, therapists and pharmacists – may be eligible for state-operated loan repayment programs through the NHSC. Repayment amounts vary among state programs, and you’ll need to confirm that your state offers one, as not all do.

• As a primary care provider who commits to working in a role that corresponds with your training
• For a minimum of two years (full time) or four years (half time)
• At an HPSA located in the state operating the repayment program

NHSC Loan Repayment Program

Under the NHSC Loan Repayment Program, primary care medical, dental or health clinicians may receive a maximum of $50,000 to repay student loans in exchange for serving in approved underserved U.S. locations. The amount you receive is given to you at the beginning of your service and depends on your service location.

• As a primary care provider who commits to working
• For a specified period (half or full time) depending on the location of your service

NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program

If you already work full time as a licensed, registered nurse at a critical shortage facility or as a nurse faculty member at an eligible nursing school, you may be able to pay off 60 percent of your loan balance in two years through the NURSE Corps Loan Repayment Program. You can reduce your original student loan amount by an additional 25 percent by continuing the program for a third year. The program pays off student loans in return for service in designated hospitals and clinics in underserved areas (HPSA). Your student loan must qualify for the program. Examples of qualifying loans include Stafford Loans, Supplemental Loans for Students, and loans obtained to pay for tuition and reasonable educational and living expenses for qualified nursing education. Some loans you cannot pay off through this program include Parent PLUS loans and loans for training in vocational or practical nursing.